Changing Tides
by one quick sting
Summary: Graduation is over, but life moves on. Old faces and ideas are cropping up all over the place, and it seems as if graduation brought more problems then solutions. How will everyone cope? set after the third season C/L, B/W, R/Z
1. Prologue

_Changing Tides_

**Prologue:** It was late at night, nearing midnight on the Gold Coast. A bright moon shone above the dormant volcano of Mako Island, reflecting perfectly in the channel between the island and the mainland. The waves were calm, moving gently and swiftly against the shoreline. The only thing to disturb the scene was a decent-sized white boat, bobbing softly in the ocean surf. The anchor was down, and there was no sign of life on board: no lights, no movement, and no changes. It was simply a boat, anchored just off of the mysterious and dangerous Mako Island.

At first glance, it appeared that the boat was abandoned. However, upon closer inspection, the silhouette of one motionless figure could be seen, leaning slightly on the railing at the bow of the boat. The figure looked out to sea; ignoring both the island and the mainland, but glancing almost longingly out to the ocean.

Big, blue eyes watched as the sea ebbed and flowed, shifting and constantly changing. They kept a sharp eye out for anything. Watching the sea never failed to surprise. The ever changing waves and shifting sands always had something new to offer. Her eyes followed something in the water: a small reef shark, just beneath the surface. It brought her attention to the island before her, half-hidden in fog, despite the clear night.

Her mother had warned her to keep an eye on Mako Island. It was a mysterious place, full of wonder and, what some might call, magic. But that was why they were here. There was no such thing as magic: only science. They would prove to the world that magic would always be disproven by science.

However, there was something that caught her eye. The young girl frowned, squinting in the darkness. There was something unnatural protruding from the thick forest on the island. It looked like... machinery? What? Why would there ever be machinery on that island? From what her mother had told her about the island, people tended to avoid it because they didn't understand it. Nobody dared to go to Mako Island; it was overrun with vegetation, filled with bugs, and surrounded by sharks and reefs: needless to say, people tried to avoid the island at all cost.

So why would any human-made machinery be on Mako Island?

Leaning forward, there was no mistaking it. There was a bright yellow construction truck hidden in the thick forest. It was possible that there was more than one, too. She couldn't be certain. She was ready to leap off of the boat and go investigate, but she resisted the temptation. Instead, she took one last glance towards the island and the bright moon shining above it, before turning on her heel and walking silently into the cabin of the boat. The door swung shut behind her with a soft snap, barely audible over the waves.

The scene was just as the same as before, with the sea the same as ever and the island silent and still as the grave. However, the serenity of it all was lost with the discovery of the construction truck. Uneasiness slid into the scene, but the island and the boat remained silent.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Okay, so I know I have a Harry Potter story that I am working on, and I shouldn't start a new one. But this idea has been with me for a while. H2O is my guilty pleasure. It's an awesome show, though. So I hope you enjoy this story, it's got lots of twists and turns in it, with new characters and old! (: Review, please? This is just a taste of what's to come, and it's very vague, I know. But that's the point, it's the prologue. It won't reveal much yet. There will be more to come, with reviews! Thanks!

- double heart


	2. One

**Chapter One:** Morning on the Gold Coast dawned bright and cheery with hardly a cloud in the sky and the bright sun shining down. The white boat was still docked off of Mako Island, but there were no signs of life on board. In the meantime, speed boats were crossing the channel between the harbor and the small island, each carrying a dozen or so men in working clothes. They reached the island and pulled their boats onto the sand, beaching them quickly and deftly. Without pausing to dry off, the men took off into the forest where their machines were waiting for them.

Unbeknownst to any of them, three girls were crouching behind a rock, watching. They were horrified at what they saw. The three of them exchanged glances, before taking off into the water. As soon as they'd dove into the sea, the water, in contact with their skin, transformed them. Their shirts were replaced with an orange bikini top of scales, and their legs disappeared inside a long, orange mermaid tail. This metamorphosis didn't faze any of them, and three torpedo-like mermaids swam into a small cave on the side of the island.

They surfaced, one at a time. First, Rikki Chadwick took a breath and leaned tensely against the rock within the moon poll. She was followed closely by Cleo Sertori, who joined her. Both girls turned and watched Bella Hartley surface and the three girls faced each other, their eyes wide with uncertainty and anxiety.

"Why were all those men coming to Mako?" asked Cleo nervously. None of them enjoyed the idea of anyone else being at Mako Island. The more people poked around Mako Island, the more questions they asked, and then they never left the mysterious island alone.

Rikki scowled, displaying her fear to the other girls without needing to express it aloud. "This isn't good, whatever it is," she declared unhappily, her voice aggressive. "We need to run them out, get them all away."

Shaking her head, Bella interjected. "Shouldn't we find out why they're here to begin with?"

"No matter what the reason is, it can't be good," said Rikki stubbornly. "Think of our past encounters with people on Mako." In the past, everyone who had been to Mako either learned their secret or became a huge problem, what with their investigating and poking around. They were all hard to deter.

"Rikki's right, but I think we should find out why they're here as well," put in Cleo quickly. "We don't want the island damaged anymore by anyone." They had had enough trouble in the past with Sophie, Ryan, and Zane; they didn't need any _more_ trouble to deal with.

"We can't do anything about that now, and we should get going," said Cleo softly, breaking the other two girls out of their thoughts. "We'll investigate it; maybe Lewis knows something." The other two nodded, and one by one, they sank under the water and shot out of the pool like a rocket.

Unnoticed to any of them, there were two eyes following them, curious and inconspicuous. The owner of the eyes was hidden behind the reef, but as soon as the bubbles from the others' mermaid tails disappeared, so did the eyes.

* * *

><p>Mariella Westwood was in love. She was in love with the Gold Coast, and she was happier than she could say to be there. It was the first time in her life that things seemed to be going okay.<p>

The summer holiday was warm and inviting, and Mari was anxious to discover the popular hang outs of kids her own age. Her mother had told her to make some friends like her, and that was exactly what she intended to do. Being a stranger in a new place wasn't easy, but Mari welcomed it. She loved the sounds and the smells of the Gold Coast, and she made her way down the beach. Keeping her feet in the soft, warm white sand, she soaked in the sunshine the best that she could.

Many people were enjoying their summer holidays, laying out on the beach or tossing a Frisbee along the beach. Groups of teenagers, families—everyone seemed to be spending the day at the beach.

The only place that seemed more crowded than the beach was an aqua park not far from the beach, along the shoreline. The Gold Coast was filled with tourist traps, but they were nice. The aqua park, for example, was a quaint little place with rides, shows, and animals of all kinds. It was nice.

A crowd flooded into an arena, and Mari followed curiously. A dolphin show! Her eyes lit up when she saw it: she loved dolphins, and dolphin shows. The show was packed, and she took a seat near the back.

There was is girl around her own age, maybe a little older, who was leading the show. She was very good, and the dolphins all responded well to her commands. They seemed to follow her every move, and answered accordingly with flips and tricks of all kinds. It was a very good show, Mari had to admit.

She was the last one to leave the arena. Walking down by the water, she was pleased when one of the dolphins broke away from the pod and greeted her. Mari jumped back when he splashed, and glared at the playful dolphin. He seemed to smirk at her, and she shook her head at the creature, but smiled nonetheless.

"Wow, Ronnie really seems to have taken a liking to you."

A voice made Mari turn around quickly, to find herself looking up at the assistant dolphin trainer—Cleo? That was what her name had been... right? Mari smiled up at the taller girl.

"I've always loved dolphins," she said with a shrug. "Great show, by the way. The dolphins really love you."

The tanned girl smiled at the compliment, a pink tinge appearing on her face. "Thanks, that means a lot. I'm Cleo," she introduced herself and offered a hand for Mari to shake. With a grin, Mari complied and gripped the other girl's hand firmly before letting her hand drop back to her side.

"Mari," she offered. "I just moved here with my mum."

"Welcome to the Gold Coast, then!" said Cleo with a friendly smile. She looked up, beyond Mari's shoulder. Mari glanced behind her to see two girls walking towards them. "It was nice to meet you, Mari, but I've got to run."

Mari nodded in understanding. Hanging out with friends was definitely better than talking to a stranger. "I guess I'll see you around, then?" she offered uncertainly. But Cleo smiled and nodded, before waving goodbye and heading off with the two blonde girls who were waiting for her.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Thank you all for the reviews! I loved them, and I'm really glad that you all like the story so far! So here's the first official chapter! Hope you like it, and please review! Favorites, alerts, reviews... they're all awesome! I'll update soon, promise.

- double heart


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